Why is slavery wrong?

[Nooj]

If you believe that slavery is wrong (and I sincerely hope you do), can you explain why you think so from a Christian perspective.

 

[Hentenza]

Hi Nooj,

I condemn slavery probably for the same reasons that you do. Slavery in the past few centuries is based on race, skin color, and sexual slavery. All of these exploit and demean classes of people.

 

[Bear.Fr00t]

The 2nd greatest commandment Jesus gave us is "love your neighbor as yourself". How can you love your neighbor while enslaving them?

 

[Nooj]

That's probably the best answer I've got from anyone on Exploring Christianity.

 

[98cwitr]

if we are to be free in Christ we must show others freedom as well.

 

[JediMobius]

The 2nd greatest commandment Jesus gave us is "love your neighbor as yourself". How can you love your neighbor while enslaving them?

This.

 

[drich0150]

Slavery in of itself can be a pure from of dedication, humility, and obedience. Perhaps this is why we are call to be Slaves to, or in Christ.

Slavery as man has perverted it is not akin to to the "Roots" in which Christ established.

What we know of slavery is manifest in all of the evil man can show to another. It is wrong in our hands because it is only an opportunity to visit evil on another. That by itself is in violation of the second Greatest Command of God.

 

[ebia]

I would have to say that it's self evident, and I think scripture takes it as self-evident. But if one really needed to justify it then the golden rule would seem to make it obvious, or even Genesis 1 (that we are all in the image of God).

 

[razeontherock]

Well now that we've got that established, maybe I should interject a thread left turn and address the recent wave of questions all across CF, about why some Scriptures exist that don't condemn slavery.

Different way of life. Servanthood, working class, equivalent of today's minimum wage earner, no public transportation, no real choice. And the Bible always upheld these same values we see in this thread for the workers, and held the employers (masters, slave owners) accountable for their behavior.

 

[Tommy_S]

If you believe that slavery is wrong (and I sincerely hope you do), can you explain why you think so from a Christian perspective.

We are all made in the image of God, and He forbid slavery as we know it today. The instances you find it in the Bible were either working off a debt or a form of imprisonment for breaking laws.

 

[drich0150]

Well now that we've got that established, maybe I should interject a thread left turn and address the recent wave of questions all across CF, about why some Scriptures exist that don't condemn slavery.

Different way of life. Servanthood, working class, equivalent of today's minimum wage earner, no public transportation, no real choice. And the Bible always upheld these same values we see in this thread for the workers, and held the employers (masters, slave owners) accountable for their behavior.

Very true, slavery under "The Law" back then looks very different than 18th and 19th century America.

 

[Dragons87]

For this I always love to quote John Ball, a priest who meddled with the Peasants' Revolt in England in the 14th century and got his head chopped off for his trouble:

"When Adam delved and Eve span, who was then the gentleman? From the beginning all men by nature were created alike, and our bondage or servitude came in by the unjust oppression of naughty men. For if God would have had any bondmen from the beginning, he would have appointed who should be bond, and who free. And therefore I exhort you to consider that now the time is come, appointed to us by God, in which ye may (if ye will) cast off the yoke of bondage, and recover liberty."

It is worth noting that slavery in Old Testament times, or more specifically when Israel had the upper hand, was very different to all the kinds of slavery that followed. Kidnapping people for slavery, for instance, one of the main ways that later slave traders, was forbidden (see Ex 21:16; De 24:7). So under Israelite law, the transatlantic slave trade would have been illegal from the start.

Paul also goes to some length in addressing slavery in the New Testament. While he does not condemn the institution itself, he does exhort masters to recognise that slaves were also the creation of God and be kind to them.

The system of slavery, which simply reflects the notion of class difference (which still exists today) isn't condemned in the Bible; all, regardless of class, are welcome in the kingdom of God. What makes slavery and class difference so unbearable is the treatment of the lower classes by the upper classes, and that has more to do with how humans behave rather than inevitably be a problem with the system.

 

[lawtonfogle]

If you believe that slavery is wrong (and I sincerely hope you do), can you explain why you think so from a Christian perspective.

Hmm... there is no reason for every single form of enslavement to be wrong. Now, it has become so politically correct to call slavery wrong that many of us, when faced with a form of enslavement we agree with, attempt to say it is not slavery.

Of course, to really get a basic idea of why slavery may or may not be wrong, we need to define it. But short of playing semantics, I think we all have a pretty good idea, and outside of special pleading for the reason admitted above, we will tend to agree if something is or is not slavery.


So, this means I obviously need to focus where we will have disagreement.


I make the claim that not all slavery is bad, and to prove this point, I offer two bits of information. In the US, slavery is not outlawed, though the 13th amendment greatly limits how one can be entered into slavery or involuntary servitude (what do you think the difference between these is)? Also, the prison system as currently set up is a form of slavery, one which we almost all agree with, though many people, because they are so conditioned to see all slavery as wrong, will not agree.

 

[lawtonfogle]

We are all made in the image of God, and He forbid slavery as we know it today. The instances you find it in the Bible were either working off a debt or a form of imprisonment for breaking laws.

Debt slavery is a form of slavery as we know it today. If you are familiar with some of the modern day slavery within the U.S. you will see that it is based on paying off a debt. Granted, the debt is in and of itself unfair.

Also, slavery back in the Biblical days did allow for the purchasing of females as wives. Of course, this has ties in with how female virginity was treated back then, which was very important for knowing whom was your child and whom wasn't (which in a very hereditary based 'first born gets almost everything' can be enough to start wars over').

 

[Nooj]

The system of slavery, which simply reflects the notion of class difference (which still exists today) isn't condemned in the Bible; all, regardless of class, are welcome in the kingdom of God. What makes slavery and class difference so unbearable is the treatment of the lower classes by the upper classes, and that has more to do with how humans behave rather than inevitably be a problem with the system.

So you would support slavery if the slaves were treated well?

I don't understand why so many Christians make apologies for the Biblical form of slavery by saying it wasn't like Southern slavery, as if that makes it better.

 

[Hentenza]

So you would support slavery if the slaves were treated well?

I don't understand why so many Christians make apologies for the Biblical form of slavery by saying it wasn't like Southern slavery, as if that makes it better.

Not making apologies at all. Back then it was a way of life much different than the type of slavery where you are deriving your opinion from. Many of those back then would have been dead otherwise.

 

[Dragons87]

So you would support slavery if the slaves were treated well?

No. When did I say that?

I don't understand why so many Christians make apologies for the Biblical form of slavery by saying it wasn't like Southern slavery, as if that makes it better.

But it was better, at least on paper. I haven't done any research whatsoever into slavery in ancient Hebrew societies.

 

[Nooj]

No. When did I say that?

You didn't. It was a question. I should have asked it like 'So would you support...' rather than 'So you would support...'.

But it was better, at least on paper.

By better, I mean more moral. I don't understand why some Christians think that because Biblical slavery is different from Southern slavery, that makes it more moral or any more acceptable.

I haven't done any research whatsoever into slavery in ancient Hebrew societies.

I've done a bit. I've also done a bit of research into slavery practiced by other ancient societies that existed at that time. What people do when they defend the slavery practiced by Israel is to defend the slavery practiced by others, like the Babylonians or Assyrians.

Not making apologies at all. Back then it was a way of life much different than the type of slavery where you are deriving your opinion from. Many of those back then would have been dead otherwise.

You may be right that you're not making apologies. Instead you support it.

I make the claim that not all slavery is bad, and to prove this point, I offer two bits of information. In the US, slavery is not outlawed, though the 13th amendment greatly limits how one can be entered into slavery or involuntary servitude (what do you think the difference between these is)? Also, the prison system as currently set up is a form of slavery, one which we almost all agree with, though many people, because they are so conditioned to see all slavery as wrong, will not agree.

Okay. So, in your view, what makes some forms of slavery bad and some forms of slavery good?

 

[Dragons87]

You didn't. It was a question. I should have asked it like 'So would you support...' rather than 'So you would support...'.

I see. No, I do not support slavery, although I can see the reasoning behind the system.

By better, I mean more moral. I don't understand why some Christians think that because Biblical slavery is different from Southern slavery, that makes it more moral or any more acceptable.

In an ideal world, no slavery would exist. Alas, we do not live in an ideal world, so we must accept that various shades of good and less good will exist, at least for now.

I've done a bit. I've also done a bit of research into slavery practiced by other ancient societies that existed at that time. What people do when they defend the slavery practiced by Israel is to defend the slavery practiced by others, like the Babylonians or Assyrians.

Please do go on. I'm very interested in what you found out.

 

[Hentenza]

You may be right that you're not making apologies. Instead you support it.

Yes, I do. What did you expect them to do? They had no city services like food stamps, medicare, etc. Those that had nothing or that owed money to others that they could not pay chose to become slaves to survive. The bible teaches to treat them gracefully, to pay them their wages, to feed them, to clothe them, and to treat them with love and respect. Nothing wrong with that.